ML062210296

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E-Mail from Morris, NRC Tells PSEG to Fix Safety Culture or Else
ML062210296
Person / Time
Site: Salem, Hope Creek  PSEG icon.png
Issue date: 02/02/2004
From: Scott(Ois) Morris
Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response
To:
References
FOIA/PA-2005-0194
Download: ML062210296 (6)


Text

pc-ct- B*,er*:!*- ReF:N RC T ELLSPS-EI "To"FIXSAFEET-CU0LTREO*[ 0R "E-LSE ........................... Page-1i From: Scott Mor To: Ai Date: 11:54AM

Subject:

Re: FW: NRC TELLS PSEG TO FIX SAFETY CULTURE OR ELSE thanks/Brien Iwill pass It along to the appropriate folks.

I..

fyi, I now work in NSIR as section chief in charge of reactor security policy development, licensing and rulemaking ...

Scott A. Morris, Chief Reactor Security Section NSIR - Division of Nuclear Security (301)415-7083 office (240)401-2157 mobile (301)415- 6661 fax ieft

>>-;-- f Jim-Y004mg "'""a2/02/04 10:41AM>>>> C"--V Scotcf I don't know If you are still working in the EDO's office but If you are -

this email Is "making the rounds" in the industry. I thought you might want a heads up if you didn't already know about it.

Hope this finds you well.

Best Regards, Brian Brian C. Haagensen Managing Director, Performance Safety and Health Associates Connecticut Office 27 Charter Oak Drive East Lyme, CT 06333 860-739-0333 860-739-9346 (fax) 860-460-1028 (cell)

-- OD' Ial Message-Fromi*aul Blanch [1]

Sent..Fridd. January 30, 2004 10:32 AM ToJQAV II.

Subject:

  • RRCTELLS PSEG TO FIX SAFETY CULTURE OR ELSE

-0 inal Message-Fromqorm Cohenr[mailto:ncohen22@comcast.netI Sent: riday, January 30, 2004 10:02 AM To:iunplugsalem@yahoogroups.com; unplugsalem-announce@yahoogroups.com; Information itthis record was deleted in accordance with the Freedom of Infodate Act, exemptions 2" FOlA. 'AV-r'9

0ct Br er-R:F:NCTLSPE OFXSFT EO age2 cpj-studentpeace@yahoogroups.com; nukenet; nrc concems@yahoogroups.com; Know Nukes@yahoogroups.com ITubject: [NRCCONCERNS] NRC TELLS PSEG TO FIX SAFETY CULTURE OR ELSE Hi All -

Below please find a letter from Hub Miller, NRC the CEO of PSEG. It Is clear from his letter that there are serious problems at all 3 nuclear plants at Artificial Island. While UNPLUG Salem Is very disappointed that the letter did not go further, and Immediately shut all three nukes pending a complete Investigation, the letter Is, for the NRC, a very strong step.

We also disagree with Millers statement that they have not gathered

'serious safety violations'. The tritium leak Itself was a serious violation.

Safety culture at PSEG is poor. We've been saying that for months now.

Informants within PSEG have told us this, but have asked that their confidentiality not be compromised.

The NRC Investigation Is deep and wide-ranging, and we urge the NRC to do the right thing this time, and not allow Salem and Hope Creek to be the "Davis-Besse on the Delaware".

If anyone reading this has additional Information about the safety culture at Salem/Hope Creek, please contact us and we will keep your information as confidential as you want it.

thanks norm cohen coordinator, UNPLUG Salem Campaign NUCLEAR SAFETY UPDATE!

The NRC Issued the following public letter to PSEG Chairman Jim Ferland on Wednesday. It will be posted on the NRC website and is a public document.

The media around the country Is being notified.

This Is an "unprecedented" step for the NRC to take, not having been done before. Itmeans they have uncovered enough in their ongoing Investigation to warrant putting the Chairman of the Board on notice and hold him accountable for the safety issues and work environment at the plants. While there Is no formal "fix things or else" statement, it is clear that the NRC means business. The public meeting that will be held In about 6 weeks, where Ferland has to publicly report to the NRC, is open for anyone to attend. I will keep you posted on date/time. The NRC is continuing its Investigation and will be taking additional action as warranted.

January 28, 2004 Mr. E. J. Fedand Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Public Service Enterprise Group

CULTURE OR ELSE l-p~v1 B~rber Re: FW:

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  • NRC W*- NRC TELLS PSEG TO FIX SAFETY TE8.IU6-PS5-EG-TOFiX SAFETY CU!L I RE'OR-ELSE* ..... ... . i-age 3 80 Park Plaza P.O. Box 570 Newark, New Jersey 07101

SUBJECT:

WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR RAISING AND ADDRESSING SAFETY CONCERNS AT THE SALEM AND HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATIONS

Dear Mr. Ferland:

In late 2003, we Initiated a special review at the Hope Creek and Salem Generating Stations to assess the environment for raising and addressing safety Issues. This letter provides Interim results of that ongoing review.

We undertook the review In light of Information received in various allegations and Inspections over the past few years. Previous Inspections Included both baseline and special Inspections following up on plant events.

While to this point, we have not Identified any serious safety violations, collectively, Information gathered has led to concerns about the stations' work environment, particularly as Itrelates to the handling of emergent equipment issues and associated operational decision making. Concerns regarding the stations' ability to effectively address potential safety Issues have been documented in Inspection reports and periodic assessment letters. For example, a substantive cross cutting Issue was Identified in the problem Identification and resolution area in both the last annual and mid-cycle performance review letters dated March 3 and August 27, 2003, respectively.

The ongoing special review has included in-depth interviews of numerous current and former Salem/Hope Creek employees, at various levels of the organization. Our Interviews have sought to understand the extent to which a safety conscious work environment exists at the stations. Our review has accumulated Information about a number of events which, to varying degrees, call into question the openness of management to concerns and alternative views, strength of communications, and effectiveness of the stations' corrective action and feedback processes. Several events Involved disagreements or differing perspectives of operators and senior managers on plant operating decisions, particularly as they might impact on continuing plant operation and outage schedules. At a minimum, interviews to date at Hope Creek and Salem have raised questions about whether management has fully assessed and addressed the negative Impact such disagreements have had on station personnel.

Our reviews are not yet complete but we consider it Important to provide our perspective at this time on what we have found and to request that you Initiate your own review. If left unresolved, negative outfall from events relayed to us can create an unacceptable, chilled environment for raising Issues and making appropriate operational decisions. We recognize that virtually all plants, Including those with strong safety performance, operate with aggressive schedules. Schedule pressure does not, by itself, lead to safety concerns. However, we consider It Important for you to take action to thoroughly understand what "messages" the staffs at Salem and Hope Creek have taken from various events over the past few years and address any situations that significantly detract from maintenance of a strong safety conscious work environment.

We understand steps have been taken to realign management responsibilities Inan attempt to better support the separate activities of Hope Creek and Salem and to Improve Implementation of your corrective action program, overall. While some Interviewees have indicated that these steps may be leading to some change under new management, it is vital to assess the

climate at the station, address the current impact of previous unresolved conflict, and take steps to assure the staffs at Salem and Hope Creek are willing to participate.

In summary, we request that you conduct your own In-depth assessment.

Previous surveys conducted or directed by PSEG might form part of such an assessment We ask that you provide your plan of action for addressing this matter to the NRC within 30 days of the date of this letter. Approximately two weeks after we receive your action plan, we would like to meet with you to discuss this matter in more detail, so that we may plan for appropriate NRC monitoring and follow up.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's nRules of Practice,* a copy of this letter and your response will be made available electronically for public Inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the NRC's document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To the extent possible, your response should not Include any personal privacy, proprietary, or safeguards information so that it can be made available to the Public without redaction. If personal privacy Information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, then please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the personal privacy-related Information and a redacted copy of your response that deletes the personal privacy-related Information.

Identify the particular portions of the response In question which, if disclosed, would create an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, Identify the Individual whose privacy would be Invaded In each Instance, describe the nature of the privacy Invasion, and Indicate why, considering the public Interest In the matter, the invasion of privacy is unwarranted.

If you request withholding on any other grounds, you must specifically identify the portions of your response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detail the bases for your claim of withholding (e.g., provide the Information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) to support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial Information). If safeguards information Is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the level of protection described In 10 CFR 73.21.

Sincerely, Hubert J. Miller Regional Administrator Docket Nos.: 50-272; 50-311; 50-354 License Nos.: DPR-70; DPR-75; NPF-57 cc:

F. Cassidy, President and Chief Operating Officer, PSEG Power LLC R. A. Anderson, President and Chief Nuclear Officer A. C. Bakken, Senior Vice President Site Operations J. T. Cadin, Vice President Nuclear Assurance D. F. Garchow, Vice President, Engineering and Technical Support W. F. Sperry, Director Business Support S. Mannon, Manager - Licensing C. J. Fricker, Salem Plant Manager J. A. Hutton, Hope Creek Plant Manager R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs J. J. Keenan, Esquire Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate F. Pompper, Chief of Police and Emergency Management Coordinator

V3cott Barbi'-Ker-ReP: NRC TELLS PSfdf I AE C R 1 LE.............Pge =~T 5' M. Wetterhahn, Esquire State of New Jersey State of Delaware N. Cohen, Coordinator - Unplug Salem Campaign E. Gbur, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch E. Zobian, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Anti Nuclear Alliance Distribution:

H. Miller J. Wiggins K. Farrar R. Blough B. Holian W. Lanning R. CrIenjak D. Holody D. Vito E. Wilson F. Congel, OE J. Luehman, OE OEMAIL DOCUMENT NAME: G:\Salem Work Env Ltr Rev 9.wpd After declaring this document MAnOfficial Agency Record" it will be released to the Public.

To receive a copy of this document, Indicate In the box: 'C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure "Ea = Copy with attachment/enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE RI/ORA RIIORA RI/DRP RI/DRS RI/Ol NAME DHolody DVito RBIough WLanning EWilson DATE OFFICE RI/ORA

jr$F7tBe-p FW: NRC TELL-S PSEG TO FIX SAETYCULTURE-OR- ELSE

-- 1---IR! f-age ti I HQIOE RI/RA NRR EDO NAME KFarrar FCongel HMiller DATE OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Coalition for Peace and Justice (

http:l/www.coalitonforpeaceandjustice.org); and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign

( http:/www.unpluasalem.org); 321 Barr Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-801-8583137; aoelcoomcast.net <ma1Ito:ncohen12@comcast~net>1 The '

Coalition for Peace~nd Justice Is a chapter of Peace Action (

http://www.peace-action.org). "You can say Im a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" (Lennon). "Don't be late for your life" (Mary Chapin Carpenter).

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